Teach Secondary Issue 14.8

– but if I persist with a dogged determination to avoid making errors at all costs, then I’ll likely end up wasting too much time that I don’t have. For many tasks, satisfactory is good enough . By doing some things adequately, rather than amazingly, we can create a lot of additional space for doing other things to a better standard, or doing more things overall. Or for simply taking some time to rest and recharge. Not everything will require fromus the very highest level of commitment. What canyou de-prioritise? We need to consider the things that really matter and prioritise those, but even that’s only half the task. The harder part involves thinking carefully which things matter less , and de-prioritising those. For every thing that we prioritise, we need to de-prioritise something else. If I want to planmy lessons to a higher standard, then it may be that I end up writing my routine emails to a lower standard. That’s a trade-off that I’mhappy to accept. What might be some of the things you could spend less time on – or even safely rush?What are those tasks where a fewminor mistakes won’t actually matter all that much?What are the things you have to do, but which ultimately don’t really matter so much to that many people in the broader scheme of things? Youmay still have to perform those tasks, but you don’t have to excel at them. They need only be ‘good enough’. You should feel no guilt about this; the aim isn’t to necessarily give you an easier life, but rather to enable you to be more effective in other areas. Perfectionist expectations Dare I say it, the same might even apply to students’ efforts. Can they really be expected to be 110% committed to every aspect of every subject, every day of every week? Perhaps it’s reasonable – helpful, even – for them to realise that they only have so much time and energy, which they ought to be directing towards those tasks that will have the biggest impact on their learning. Saying ‘Always give 110%’ can risk setting up unrealistic, perfectionist expectations that make lots of people – students and teaching colleagues alike – feel like they’ve failed most of the time. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Colin Foster (@colinfoster77) is a Professor of Mathematics Education in the Department of Mathematics Education at Loughborough University, and has written many books and articles for teachers; find out more at foster77.co.uk 39 teachwire.net/secondary H E A LT H & W E L L B E I N G